Other: 50 land Cruiser wiper motor

[doubledaddy]

Question on wiper motors, I am looking for an electric motor to replace non working motor in my Land Cruiser. Everything I find says 50 Champion. Can this be installed in a Land Cruiser?

Also, how do you lube the rollers and shafts, I can not reach them laying on the floor. The vacuum motor seems fine when removed from the car but seems to be unable to move the wipers. I have cleaned and lubed it.

[Ross]

Yes the motor and all the mechanism are the same on the Champ and the Commander. You should be able to move the wipers fairly easily by hand by rotating the adapter on the wiper motor mount. If you can not you will have to dig deeper under the dash and get everything lubed up, especially the pivots where the arms mount. Sure you can install a powerful electric motor but you will end up snapping the cables. On the passenger side you will need to remove the glove box to get at the pivot and tensioners.

[doubledaddy]

Thanks Ross
I thought they were the same. I am removing the seat to work on the wiring under the dash so this will be a good time to see about the wiper drive lube.

[Hallabutt]

My inquiring mind requires an answer, I hope someone can help. If my memory serves me, a vacuum motor was standard up through, at least, 1951. Is this correct? Also trusting my memory, Studebaker offered an electric motor as a no-cost option. Is this correct? If both are correct, how often was the electric motor substituted for the vacuum motor, any educated guesses?

[TWChamp]

I went on a 100 mile drive with my 50 Land Cruiser yesterday, and tried the wipers for the first time since I drove the car home 6 weeks ago. I was surprised that the wipers stopped working when I floored it, even though it has the dual diaphram pump to boost the vacuum. I try to never drive in the rain, and use Rain-X anyway, so it's no big deal, but you'd think they would work the same with the vacuum pump, whether the car is cruising or floored.

[thunderations]

That dual diaphragm pump is an assist, not a cure for the problem. I've dealt with a lot of old Ford vacuum wipers and the first thing to do is put a hose onto the intake port on the wiper motor, (usually right on the bottom) and into a container of neatsfoot oil or some other leather lubricant, start the engine and turn on the wipers to allow that solution to be sucked into the wiper motor. Once it has sucked some in, just turn it off let it sit for awhile, several days even. Then start the car and turn the wipers on and they should perform better. You might even want to give it another shot of lubricant so that all the leathers in the wiper motor have absorbed as much as possible. Any excess oil will be drawn into the engine and burned, hurting nothing.

I went on a 100 mile drive with my 50 Land Cruiser yesterday, and tried the wipers for the first time since I drove the car home 6 weeks ago. I was surprised that the wipers stopped working when I floored it, even though it has the dual diaphram pump to boost the vacuum. I try to never drive in the rain, and use Rain-X anyway, so it's no big deal, but you'd think they would work the same with the vacuum pump, whether the car is cruising or floored.

[doubledaddy]

It is a vacuum motor. I had thought to replace with an electric but all the adds I found for a retro fit electric state 50 champion. Not sure if they will work. I'm going to try to get some lubricant on the rollers an shafts and see if that helps.

[RadioRoy]

Pages 93 and 94 of the body parts catalog say that wiper motors and their motor receptacles are the same from 49-50 Commander to 49-50 Champion, like Ross said.

Whatever the aftermarket catalog says, their information is not as accurate as the official Studebaker literature. In other words, if the replacement wiper motor does indeed fit a 50 Champion, then that same replacement wiper motor will fit a 50 Commander - at least as well as it fits the Champion.

There are probably 10 to 20 surviving 50 Champions for every surviving 50 Commander and that may explain why the aftermarket catalog only lists Champions.

[doubledaddy]

Thanks, Roy
I was fairly sure they were the same, the one in my champion and land cruiser look the same. I may try the champion motor on the land cruiser to prove a point.

[altair]

To cure the wipers from stopping when there is low vacuum, there is out there in the world an electric vacuum pump that operates on available vacuum. If the vacuum is strong it holds the contact points apart and when it falls below the required amount the points close and the vacuum pump starts up and maintains vacuum during low vacuum up a hill. They were an accessory prior to electric wipers.This is what it looks like.

[RadioRoy]

To cure the wipers from stopping when there is low vacuum, there is out there in the world an electric vacuum pump that operates on available vacuum. If the vacuum is strong it holds the contact points apart and when it falls below the required amount the points close and the vacuum pump starts up and maintains vacuum during low vacuum up a hill. They were an accessory prior to electric wipers.[ATTACH=CONFIG]73251[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]73252[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]73253[/ATTACH]This is what it looks like.

So that's what that thing is. I have had one in the shop and in my way for a couple of years. Anybody want it for cost of shipping?

[TWChamp]

Yes, I'll take you up on your offer.

[RadioRoy]

Yes, I'll take you up on your offer.

OK. See you next week.

[Greenstude]

A vacuum wiper motor is capable of working very well (except, of course, under hard acceleration). Send it to Ficken Wiper Motor Service in Babylon, New York. They specialize in repairing and rebuilding them. When you re-install the wiper motor, be sure to use new vacuum tubes, which must fit extremely tightly on both the wiper motor and on the manifold. Also, it is necessary to hook up the wire from the dashboard knob on the motor exactly as it was when taken off. Many years ago Mr. Ficken told me the very best maintenance for a vacuum motor is to use it as often as possible.